SENEGAL - Programme to support inclusive innovation for women entrepreneurs in the financial sector

Transform the provision of financial services by integrating gender issues and truly meeting the needs of women entrepreneurs

Diagnostics conducted as part of the IYBA-SEED Senegal project highlighted a series of structural barriers related to the provision of financing:

• A lack of products specifically tailored to women entrepreneurs, particularly in the pre-start-up and start-up phases
• A standardised and rigid financial offering, designed without taking into account sectoral realities or gender specificities
• Implicit biases in risk assessment and application processing procedures, affecting women's access to credit.
• Underuse of innovative tools (alternative scoring, green finance, digitalization of processes) by financial institutions.

At the same time, several financial institutions (banks, MFIs, fintechs and cooperatives) have expressed a growing interest in better targeting women and developing differentiated offerings, but often lack the methodological and strategic support to do so. 

This programme therefore aims to improve the match between supply and demand for services targeting SEED beneficiaries, particularly in terms of gender-sensitive financing. 

Planned activities

• Promote a gradual but structural transformation of financial services in Senegal by effectively integrating gender issues into the practices of financial institutions.
• Through a process of awareness-raising, selection and targeted support, we want to enable financial actors to develop or adapt products and services that truly meet the needs of women entrepreneurs, while strengthening their economic viability.
• Identify and mobilise a small group of voluntary financial institutions that are ready to commit to transforming their service provision through a structured and supported process.
• Train financial institutions on gender bias and access to finance.
• Provide coaching to these institutions to co-develop, adjust or upgrade their products, processes or internal tools.
• Capitalise on and promote the experiences gained by producing practical tools (e.g. toolkits, case studies) for the Senegalese entrepreneurial and financial ecosystem.

Which financial institutions will be able to benefit from this programme?

• Financial institutions operating in Senegal: banks, MFIs, fintechs, crowdfunding platforms, savings cooperatives, etc.
• Organisations that already have a product or service aimed at women or demonstrate a clear commitment to developing one.
• Actors ready to mobilise their internal resources to benefit from tailored support.
  
  In September 2025, IYBA-SEED Senegal will launch a call for applications to identify Senegalese financial institutions ready to commit to an innovative approach to the financial inclusion of women entrepreneurs.
   

Technical assistance 

We are actually looking for a multidisciplinary team of experts in financial inclusion, gender, and financial product development to implement this programme with us. The call for technical assistance is open until August 22nd. 

Apply here